“The patient organizations, representatives from the academy and hospital unions, logistics operators, pharmaceutical managers, insurers and the pharmaceutical and medical device industry who have signed this statement express our concern about the health reform process announced by the national government and that will be discussed in Congress in the next term,” the document reads.
In this sense, they point out that while “we have listened to the government’s position in various scenarios regarding the health system and the key changes they want to make, on which we agree on some aspects, but also have concerns and concerns about others”, it is necessary “that this reform, which directly affects the health care of all Colombians and the sustainability of the system, spaces for construction, consultation and agreement with the voice of all actors, as the government has promised for this and all reforms”.
This, they warn, “begins with knowing the text of the reform, after its discussion by the legislature,” for which they “appealed to the national government to allow and promote that ensures any reform of the system is viable and sustainable over time and translate into real improvements for patients and the health of Colombians”.
And they conclude that “all the voices represented here can contribute a lot to this discussion and we have expressed our willingness to participate in the social dialogue.”
In response, the Minister of Health, carolina cork, He assured: “We have done our utmost to discuss this reform as widely as possible through several public hearings held with Congress, with a massive participation of all health system actors in different regions. Seminars, discussions are well advanced. This is a reform that precedes the government, which has had a very wide discussion in the country. In fact, the reform has already had political scrutiny debates. I believe that there is no reform in Colombia’s republican history that has been talked about more than that of health” .
Meanwhile, ANDI’s Vice President of Health, Ana Maria Vega, told EL HERALDO that the health unions have urged the national government “on the need to know the text of the reform that they will be submitting in the coming days, because although we have heard some general ideas from the minister and her team, many are coming mainly questions about transition and financing”.
For this reason, he stressed, “it is essential, as in all reforms, that it has consultation spaces, for real dialogue. This reform has not had that and it is necessary that the voice of all the actors in charge of the operation of the health system”.
What is now known is that President Gustavo Petro already has the text of the reform, that the head of the social protection portfolio will discuss it on January 31 with the Seventh House Committee, a legislative cell that is aware of health issues, ahead of the presentation in the Capitol’s extra sessions on Feb. 6.
Another criticism leveled at the subject comes from the Senator Humberto de la Callefrom the Coalition of Hope, who said the debate on health care reform “needs clear records. We ask the government and the minister for a rigorous discussion based on reality and not on fictional and ideological situations. health of 50 million people is at stake Colombians”.
The lawmaker and former presidential candidate added that “the announcement is that we will soon be discussing health care reform in Congress, we are ready to work on this, always thinking about improving the system for the benefit of the people, the people of this must be done seriously, it is not a question of ideologically attacking a system that is flawed, that needs to be improved, nor using wrong, false figures. The minister spoke about the debts of the EPS to the healthcare providers for 50 billion and it turns out they’re not 50: it’s less than half then let’s say that this is not the way to enter into this discussion, we enter it with an open mind, thinking of the people but above all cbased on reality”.
Source: El Heraldo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
